Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

A Pacemaker For The Brain: Implant To Boost Memory Shows Promising Results

In testing, the device improved word recall by 15 percent — roughly the amount that Alzheimer’s disease steals over two and half years.

The New York Times:
A Brain Implant Improved Memory, Scientists Report
Scientists have developed a brain implant that noticeably boosted memory in its first serious test run, perhaps offering a promising new strategy to treat dementia, traumatic brain injuries and other conditions that damage memory. The device works like a pacemaker, sending electrical pulses to aid the brain when it is struggling to store new information, but remaining quiet when it senses that the brain is functioning well. (Carey, 2/6)

NPR:
Scientists Find That Memories Can Be Saved With Pulses Of Electricity
A little electrical brain stimulation can go a long way in boosting memory. The key is to deliver a tiny pulse of electricity to exactly the right place at exactly the right moment, a team reports in Tuesday's Nature Communications. "We saw a 15 percent improvement in memory," says Michael Kahana, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and an author of the study. (Hamilton, 2/6)

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